Ladder-hook.



C. SCHULZE.

LADDER HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JULYI/ 19:5.

I E r I E I W TYV SSES chaflg f @w i BY M 7 ATTORNEY.

CHARLES SCI-IULZE, 0F GOLDEN EAGLE, ILLINOIS.

LADDER-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ap1u25, ieie.

Application filed. July 1, 1915. Serial No. 37,535.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES SOHULZE, a citizen of .the United States, residing at Golden Eagle, in the county of Calhoun and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladder- Hooks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in hay-rack ladder-hooks; and it consists in the novel features of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claim.

The present invention is directed to improvements in devices for attaching and locking hay-rack ladders to the cross-rods or equivalent supports about which the ladder is hinged, the object of the improvement being to provide a ladder hook which is selflocking, one which is simple, positive in action, durable, and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from a detailed description of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of a wagon and hay-rack deposited thereon, showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the lower end of one of the inclined uprights of the ladder showing my improved hook secured thereto; Fig. 4 is an edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 55 of Fig. 3 with ladder upright removed. Referring to the drawings, W represents a wagon or truck of any conventional design on which the hay-rack is deposited, the latter being provided with the usual detachable stakes 1, running boards or side wings 2, side sills or planks 3, and the front transverse wing-connecting member or bar 4 all as well understood in the art. The hay-rack ladder L is hinged about a rod 5 disposed between the side members 3 and below and slightly rearward of the cross member 4:, the ladder when elevated bearing against the member 4, and when depressed, resting on the bottom of the rack between the side sills a, 3. As stated above, the improvement is specifically directed to the means for detachably securing the ladder to the rod 5, said means comprising a pair of U-shaped straps or forks 6 which receive the lower ends of the side members or inclined uprightsof the ladder and to which they are bolted, the arms of the fork being disposed parallel to the uprights, that is to say at a slightangle to the vertical or to the planeof oscillation of the ladder. The basal cross member of each strap is provided with a hook 7 disposed substantially parallel to said member, the intervening space or passage-way it be tween the hook and base of the strap receiving the rod 5 about which the hooks are free to rotate. The bottom cross-member of the strap is provided with a slot 8 extending from a point substantially opposite the base of the hook to the base of the strap member adjacent the free end of the hook, the slot being traversed by a locking dog 8 hinged between the side walls of the slot at a point adjacent the base of the strap arm and opposite, and slightly in advance of, the free end of the hook, the dog normally gravitating so as to close the gap or opening'between the free end of the hook and the base of the strap, the positive closing of said gap being insured by the action of a flexed spring 9 whose fixed end is secured at the base of the last mentioned strap arm, the free end of the spring bearing against the upper face of the .dog. The lower outer face a of the dog is concaved and inclined so as to permit the dog to ride freely over, and be lifted by, the rod 5 against the resilience of the spring 9, when the hook is passed over the rod. The general plane of disposition of the hook 7 is at an incline to that of the plane of the arms of the fork or strap 6, which latter, as previously pointed out, conform to the angle of inclination of the ladder uprights or side members, the hooks being disposed in vertical planes or planes parallel to the plane of oscillation of the ladder (Fig. 2).

To attach the ladder L to the rod 5, the driver of the wagon passes the hooks 7 over the rod causing the rod to ride along the inclined lower faces a of the dogs whereby the dogs are lifted in their slots 8; and as soon the rod has passed off the dogs the latter either by gravity, or under the resilient action of the springs 9 automatically drop to their lowest positions wherein they span the gaps between the strap bottoms and the free ends of the hooks, thus confining the rod between the hooks 7 and the straps 6 and locking the ladder against displacement. The dogs are arrested against further outward movement when once they reach their lowest position, by the short lever arm of the dog striking the bottom of the strap arm at the base of which the dog ispivoted. Once the rod 5 passes behind the dogs into the spaces between the hooks and the bottoms of the straps 6 the hinge connection between the rod and the ladder is completed, and there is no danger of the ladder slipping off, or becoming detached from the rod. By lifting the dogs so as to allow the rod 6 to pass freely out of the space between the hooks and straps, the ladder may be readily detached. Or, if the hinge connection is left undisturbed, the ladder may be readily swung down or folded against the floor of the hay-rack deposited on the wagon truck (Fig. 1).

In Fig. 3 the arrow represents the direction in which the hooks are caused to approach the hinge rod 5, three successive positions of the rod being indicated, and show ing how the dog lifts to allow the rod to pass into the recess or space it behind the dog, the latter automatically dropping or being returned to locking position under the action of the spring 9. The device permits a ready and quick connection to be made between the ladder and rod 5, the ladder freely swinging about the rod when once looked thereto by the dogs 8. The ladderwhen resting against the member 4: prevents the load of hay from shifting forward strap having a slot in the bottom cross member thereof, a dog pivoted at the base of one of the strap arms and operating through the slot at one end thereof, a flexed spring secured at one end to the inner face of the last mentioned strap arm near the base thereof 1 and having its free end engaging the adjacent face of the dog for normally forcing the dog outwardly beyond the bottom crossmember of the strap, a hook formed integrally with the strap and having a point of connection therewith beyond the opposite end of the slot and spaced from the cross member to form a recess therewith behind the dog, the free end of the hook terminating at a point contiguous to the free end of the dog, the hook being disposed and rota table in, a plane at an angle to the plane of disposition of the strap arms, the recess aforesaid accommodating a suitable hinge rod free to pass under and lift the dog, the

latter returning to its normal position upon the rod entering the recess behind the dog. In testimony whereof I affiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SCHULZE. Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, Jos. A. MICHEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

